NEARLY half of women in Munster are not aware of monthly self-check recommendations, new research has shown.

Breast Cancer Ireland and Aviva Health Insurance Ireland Limited have launched the Be Breast Aware: Have a Feel Day campaign to urge young Clare women in their 20s and 30s to be breast aware and check their breasts regularly to know what’s normal for them.
Breast cancer, which accounts for approximately one-third of all female cancers, has a somewhat younger profile than other cancer types. Therefore, early detection is the key to survival.
Yet new research shows that nearly half (47%) of Munster women are not aware of monthly self-check recommendations, while almost a third (29%) admitted they never perform a check or only do so once a year.
The majority (94%) of Munster women believe that checking your breasts can lead to early diagnosis of breast cancer but worryingly only half (51%) actually conduct a breast check every month. This is a real concern, given that research shows most breast cancers (81.9%) are found randomly by women themselves.
The Be Breast Aware: Have a Feel Day campaign will dedicate one day, Thursday, October 20, to remind young women to conduct a breast self-exam. To encourage ‘feels’ on the day,  Aviva’s free health and fitness app, Health Mate, will go pink and offer a handy but discreet monthly breast check reminder on their phone, so that women are encouraged to check themselves long after Breast Cancer Awareness Month is over. Health Mate is available on iTunes or the Android market.
Young breast cancer survivor and mother, Nicola Turley, originally from Galway, said, “I never expected to get breast cancer at the age of 33, just one year after giving birth to my first child.
“To me, breast cancer was a disease for older women, not someone like me. But after being diagnosed, I realised that every woman is at risk and needs to know what to look out for so you can spot changes and act immediately.
“Education and action are key and I would urge young women to view our breast check video, complete the simple steps and spread the word. Dedicate a day every month to check your breasts for any abnormalities, starting on October 20 and if you notice anything different at all visit your GP immediately. Finding my lump early saved my life.”
Professor Arnie Hill, professor and chair of surgery at RCSI, said, “Studies show that young women often fail to recognise that they have a risk of breast cancer, albeit small, and should be aware of what is normal for them on examination of their own breasts.
“We want to encourage young women to be pro-active about their health on October 20 by examining their breasts thoroughly and getting other women to do the same.”
A special Have a Feel Day Facebook page will provide a step-by-step video on how to complete a breast check and over 55,000 breast check shower cards will be made available at GP surgeries nationwide.
For further information on the Be Breast Aware: Have a Feel Day campaign, visit avivahealth.ie or www.facebook.com/avivaireland or breastcancerireland.com.

In support of the campaign, Dr Naoimh Kenny has outlined tips on how to check your breasts properly and what changes young women should be looking for.
How to check your breasts properly:
– Put your left hand behind your head.
– With the pads of your right fingertips, make small circular movements to examine your left breast for anything unusual.
– At first feel lightly, checking for anything near the surface.
– Then press quite firmly, feeling for anything deeper. Continue around the breast, checking all areas.
– Also, examine above your breast, up to the collarbone and out to the armpit.
– Gently squeeze the nipple between the thumb and forefinger to check for unusual discharge.
– Then repeat these steps for the right side.

Changes to look for in your breasts:
– A lump or thickening, which is different to the rest of the breast tissue.
– Continuous pain in one part of the breast or armpit.
– One breast becomes larger or lower.
– A nipple becomes inverted or changes shape or position.
– Skin changes, including puckering or dimpling.
– Swelling under the armpit or around the collarbone.
– A rash on or around the nipple.
– Discharge from one or both nipples.

Bring-your-bra day at Ennis lingerie shop

ENNIS lingerie shop, La Jolie Femme, is holding a bring-your-bra day to fundraise for Action Breast Cancer of the Irish Cancer Society.
Proprietor June Maloney is encouraging women to come to the Francis Street shop and return their old bras with a small donation between 10am and 6pm on Saturday.
“It doesn’t matter how many bras you give but it would be great if people would also make a small donation with them and there will be free fittings afterwards,” explained Ms Moloney.
“I decided to do this because I run a lingerie shop and am dealing with women who are getting measured. I also sell post-mastectomy bras. I think everyone has been affected at some stage family wise, so it is good to give something back as well,” she continued.
“This is a fun idea to get rid of your old bras. I think everyone has lots of old bras at home, of the wrong size or whatever, so this is the ideal opportunity to get rid of them. This is the drop-off point and I know that money is scarce so any donation with them is welcome,” she added.
According to Ms Moloney, who has been selling post-mastectomy bras for the past five years, there has been a lot of progress in terms of style for the garments.
“You would have the same customers coming in a lot. A lot of people think they have to go to their doctor to get a post-mastectomy bra because a lot of lingerie shops wouldn’t stock these. I have been trained in fitting them here. Overall, they are something that have really got better over the years. They used to be white and old fashioned but they have made them more feminine and stylish over the years, and what we don’t have we are willing to order in,” she outlined.